Current:Home > FinancePope Francis will preside over Easter Vigil after skipping Good Friday at last minute, Vatican says -WealthSync Hub
Pope Francis will preside over Easter Vigil after skipping Good Friday at last minute, Vatican says
View
Date:2025-04-16 06:18:22
The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis would preside over the Easter Vigil service on Saturday night, after he decided at the last minute to skip his participation in the Good Friday procession at the Colosseum as a health precaution.
The Vatican's daily bulletin confirmed Francis would lead the lengthy vigil in St. Peter's Basilica, one of the most solemn and important moments in the Catholic liturgical calendar. The service, which is due to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time and usually lasts two hours, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus and includes the sacrament of baptism for eight adult converts.
The 87-year-old Francis, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, has been battling respiratory problems all winter that have made it difficult for him to speak at length.
He has canceled some audiences and often asked an aide to read aloud some of his speeches. But he ditched his Palm Sunday homily altogether and decided at the last minute Friday to stay home rather than preside over the Way of the Cross procession at the Colosseum re-enacting Christ's crucifixion.
The Vatican said in a brief explanation that the decision was made to "conserve his health" in view of the vigil service on Saturday and his even more taxing obligations on Easter Sunday. The pope is due to preside over a morning Easter Mass in St. Peter's Square and deliver his Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) speech praying for an end to global crises.
While Francis also skipped the chilly Good Friday procession last year because he was recovering from bronchitis, his sudden absence from the event this year raised concern. His chair was in place on the podium, and his aides were preparing for his arrival when the Vatican announced five minutes before the official start time that he wasn't coming.
In addition to his respiratory problems, Francis had a chunk of his large intestine removed in 2021 and was hospitalized twice last year, including once to remove intestinal scar tissue from previous surgeries to address diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall. He has been using a wheelchair or cane for nearly two years because of bad knee ligaments.
In his recently published memoirs, "Life: My Story Through History," Francis said he isn't suffering from any health problems that would require him to resign, and that he still has "many projects to bring to fruition."
- In:
- Pope Francis
- Easter
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- Bernie Sanders wants the US to adopt a 32-hour workweek. Could workers and companies benefit?
- Supreme Court lays out new test for determining when public officials can be sued for blocking users on social media
- A Gas Tanker Crashed in Birmingham and Spilled 2,100 Gallons Into Nearby Village Creek. Who Is Responsible?
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- In close primary race, trailing North Carolina legislator files election protests
- Social media is addictive by design. We must act to protect our kids' mental health.
- What is St. Patrick's Day? Why do we celebrate it? The Irish holiday explained
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Sam Bankman-Fried deserves 40 to 50 years in prison for historic cryptocurrency fraud, prosecutors say
Ranking
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Jets to sign longtime Cowboys star Tyron Smith to protect Aaron Rodgers, per reports
- 'Baywatch' star Nicole Eggert shaves her head with her daughter's help amid cancer battle
- Oprah Winfrey opens up about exiting Weight Watchers after using weight loss drug
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- National Association of Realtors to cut commissions to settle lawsuits. Here's the financial impact.
- Energy Department conditionally approves $2.26 billion loan for huge lithium mine in Nevada
- Boeing 737 Max engine issue will take up to a year to fix, company tells lawmakers
Recommendation
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
As spring homebuying season kicks off, a NAR legal settlement could shrink realtor commissions
What to know about mewing: Netflix doc 'Open Wide' rekindles interest in beauty trend
Rita Moreno Credits This Ageless Approach to Life for Her Longevity
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
North Dakota voters will decide whether 81 is too old to serve in Congress
Q&A: What’s So Special About a New ‘Eye in the Sky’ to Track Methane Emissions
Identity of massive $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot winners revealed in California